GTCC Tops Out $34.6M Aviation Center in Colfax to Expand Aviation Workforce

Guilford Technical Community College marked a construction milestone in February 2026 with the topping out of Building One of its new $34.6 million, 70,000-square-foot Aviation Center on the Donald W. Cameron Campus in Colfax. GTCC and local reporting say Phase I is funded by Guilford County and the state of North Carolina, and the college projects the added space will increase training capacity by roughly 40%, allowing the program to serve more than 700 students annually when the facility opens, which GTCC and contractors expect in spring 2027.

The project followed a formal groundbreaking on Oct. 15, 2025 that drew state and local officials. Foundations were completed in December 2025, and the February 2026 beam-signing and topping out ceremony saw the final steel beam raised with a small tree and an American flag, a tradition GTCC described as symbolizing growth and honoring the workforce. GTCC invited faculty and staff to sign the beam, calling the signatures "a visible reminder that this project, and the many initiatives across GTCC, are made possible by the people who support our students and programs every day."

GTCC intends Building One to consolidate and expand hands-on aviation instruction in composites, structures, assembly and avionics, bringing aviation manufacturing and aerospace maintenance training under one roof. The Donald W. Cameron Campus sits "just minutes from Piedmont Triad International Airport," a location GTCC and regional reporters cite as strategic as the Piedmont Triad prepares for the arrival of several aviation companies at PTIA and growing demand in the region's aviation sector.

Construction management at risk for the project is being handled by Blum Construction, which is overseeing bidding and on-site work. News coverage accompanying the topping out used photos credited to Blum Construction's social media; GTCC's timeline lists each construction milestone from the October 2025 groundbreaking through the February 2026 beam signing.

A second 70,000-square-foot phase is planned but not yet funded. NC Construction News and regional reporting put the Phase II estimate at $60 million; if funded, that expansion is projected to increase capacity by about 66% and enable the campus to train more than 1,000 aviation and aerospace manufacturing students annually. Governor Josh Stein attended the Oct. 15 groundbreaking and framed the project in statewide terms, saying at the ceremony, "North Carolina was first in flight. We are also the future of flight, and these students who go through this building in the next couple of years are going to be the ones who power that future."

With Building One structurally topped out and foundations in place, GTCC and Blum Construction are moving toward vertical construction and interior fit-out ahead of the target spring 2027 opening, while county and state officials weigh next steps on the proposed, not-yet-funded second phase.